Salvaging apparatus



H. n. DEAM. SALVAGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. l9I 9.

m H an? 7 1 55 Ji'rll. DEAM. SALVAGING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED AUGMI 1919.

I 1 ,332,889. 7 v Patented Mar. 20.

2 SHEETS-SH UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. DEAM, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

SALVAGING APPARATUS.

Application filed. August 4, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. DEAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Benton Harbor, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sal-- vagin Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

' This invention relates to apparatus to assist in salvaging boats, and particularly to boats which are sunk in deep water, or which are otherwise diflicult of access. The object of the invention is to provide apparatus for assisting in connecting cables or other elevating means to the boat. This application is a continuation of my application Serial Number 240,313 filed June 17 1918, issued August 5, 1919, as Patent No. 1,312,473.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation partly in section of the apparatus which embodies the features of my invention. -Fig. 2 is a fragmental section along the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates the use of the apparatus when boring a hole in the vertical side of a boat.

The apparatus comprises means for drilling holes through the sides of the vessel, and the drilling means comprise a very heavy bell casing 10 in which is mounted a drill. Any suitable drill'may be used; I prefer for the purpose an ordinary pneumatic drill 11 with compressed air tubes 12 and 13 attached thereto in any suitable manner for supplying the drill with compressed air and for allowing the exhaust to pass out and to pass upwardly to the surface of the water. The'drill is supported in transverse slots 14 in the bell casing by means of tubes or rods fixed to the drill casing and extending through the slots. These slots allow a material longitudinal movement of the drill with reference to the bell, which is necessary in order to allow the drill bit to pass through the side 17 of the vessel and be withdrawn a material distance from the side of the vessel. The slots are sufliciently narrow to prevent transverse movement of the drill. A strong compression spring 15 tends to force the drill casing, and thus the bit 16, toward the opening of the casing, the casing being held with the bit in proper place by means of the rod 18 extending freely through the casing. When drilling through horizontal Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 9, 1920.

Serial No. 315,136.

walls, as indicated in Fig. l, a cable 20 fixed to the rod provides means for lowering and raising the casing; and, for drilling through vertical walls, a second cable 38 is connected to the casing.

Fixed to the lower edge of the casing is a friction pad 22 made of any suitable material such as crushed agate embedded in a sheet of asphalt. By having the hell or casing 10 of sufiicient mass, the tendency of the bell to rotate when the drill is in operation will ordinarily be overcome by the friction pad. However, to prevent any material rotation of the bell I provide the wings 24 which are rotatably connected, by means of long pivots 25, to the bell, and I provide cables 26 which pass upwardly to the operator, by means of which the wings may be raised or lowered as desired. These wings, while they do not seriously resist the slow rotary movement of the bell, will prevent any rapid rotation thereof.

In the use of this drill it becomes necessary to provide means for attaching a cab-le to the hull of the vessel by means of the hole which is drilled, and this is done automatically in the following manner: Within the bell, fixed to the wall thereof, are centering springs 27, which are attached to a powerful hook 28, in such a manner that the springs will be pulled freely from the hook when the bell is raised. These springs are adjusted so that the hook will be drawn thereby against the drill, and thus over the hole made by the drill when the bit is raised, as indicated in Fig. 3. Fixed to the hook is a suitable cable 30, which passes out of the bell through a recess in the lower edge thereof. In practice when the drill is reversed and the bit withdrawn out of the way, the springs will pull the hook over and pulled upwardly and the shape and size of the hook, with reference to the size of the hole, is such as to prevent the hook from being pulled from the hole; so that a firm hold on the hull is obtained.

In practice, by the use of suitable scows,

or in any other suitable manner, the drill bell or casing, with the drill and hook properly supported therein bv means of a weak cord 32, and the springs 27, is lowered by the cable 20 on to the hull of the boat; and the drill is set in operation by the admission of compressed air. WVhen the bell anddrill are withdawn from the boat, leaving the hook 28 in the hole which has been drilled, the cords 31 and 32 will be broken, thus freeing the hook and the cable 30 from the bell, and the hoisting cable.

When drilling the side of the boat, as indicated in Fig. 4;. a diver is lowered to di rect and otherwise assist. I-Ie fastens ahook 35 on to the railing or other portion of the boat, and fastens a cable 36 to the hook, and also to the rod 18, by means of the eye 37, or in any other suitable manner. The bell is supported from above by the cable 38 fastened to the eye 10 fixed to the casing, and when properly placed the bell is forced against the vessel by the diver pulling down on the outer end of the rod 18.

As many cables as may be necessary may be thus attached to the hull of the sunken. boat by drilling other holes; and the cables as they are attached may be used as guides for drilling other holes and attaching other cables. Other suitable means however, may be used for guiding the drill to the proper place, such as suitable diving bells, or divers may be used with suitable diving suits, and modifications may be made in the apparatus, as I have described it herein, by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed by the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In salvaging apparatus, a massive casing having a large opening in its lower side, a drill supported in said casing, and movable toward and away from said opening,

operating means connected with said drill and extending outside of said casing, a bit in said drill and projecting into said open ing, and a spring adapted to force said drill with the bit projecting out of said openin In boat salvaging means the combination of a drill adapted to bore a hole through a boat with means adapted to hook into said hole, and a casing supporting said drill and hook.

3. In boat salvaging means the combina tion of a drill adapted to drill a hole through a boat with means adapted to hook into said hole, a casing supporting said drill and hook,

and a spring supported in said casing tending to push said hook against said drill.

a. In salvaging apparatus, a massive cas ing, and a spring adapted to force said drill with the bit projecting out of said opening, and means to prevent rotation of said casing.

5. In salvaging apparatus, a massive casing having a large opening in its lower side, a drill supported in said casing, andmovable toward and away from said opening, operating means connected with said drill and extending outside of said casing, a bit in said drill and projecting into said opening, and a spring adapted to force said drill with the bit projecting out of said opening, means to prevent rotation of said casing, said means comprising wings extending outwardly from said casing,

6. In salvaging apparatus, a massive casing having a large opening in its lower side, a drill supported in said casing, and mov able toward and away from said opening, operating means connected with saidfdrill and extending outside of said casing, a bit in said drill and projecting into said opening, a spring adapted to force said drill with the bit projecting out of said opening, means to prevent rotation of said casing, said means comprising wings extending outwardly from said casing, said wings being pivoted to said casing, and means for turning said wings longitudinally with reference to said bit.

7. In salvaging apparatus, a massive cas ing having a large opening in its lower side, a drill supported in said casing, and movable toward and away from said opening, operating means connected with said. drill and extending outside of said casing, a'bit in said drill and projecting into said open ing, a spring adapted to force said drill with the bit projecting out of said opening, and means for supporting said casing with the opening end pressed against the vertical side of a vessel.

8. In boat salvaging means the combination of a drill adapted to drill a hole through a boat with means adapted to hook into said hole, a casing supporting said drill and hook, a spring supported in. said casing tending to push said hook against said drill, and a spring supported in said casing adapted to force said hook into the hole when bored.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

IIENRY D. DE AM. 

